->''"The shield wall is down. I repeat: the shield wall is down! Sabotage! [[spoiler:Kor]] did it! I knew Metal Heads would be the end of me! Oh, no! Metal Heads are at the door! They're breaking through! Too many of them! Jak..."''-->-- '''Vin's''' FamousLastWords via radio - ''VideoGame/JakIIRenegade''

The killer goes through a door, which closes behind them. Then we hear screams and gunshots. Used with those DrivenToSuicide as well.

A subtrope of GoryDiscretionShot or BattleDiscretionShot. See also ScreamDiscretionShot and ShadowDiscretionShot. Goes together well with the lethal variant of MuggedForDisguise. Sometimes an example of NothingIsScarier or DarknessEqualsDeath, where the scene is more disturbing because we can't see it. Related to OffscreenCrash and DeathByTransceiver.

If the death is a Sound-Only Death from the point of view of in-canon third parties as well as the viewer, this may be a set up for a twist in which the whole thing was a [[FakingTheDead fake]] and the apparent death noises were simulated.

'''As a DeathTrope, all spoilers will be unmarked. You have been warned.'''----!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]* ''Manga/ElfenLied'': The lone survivor of a squad of guards who had been trying to kill a [[FullFrontalAssault completely naked]] [[OneManArmy Lucy]] is [[OhCrap trapped unarmed and alone in a room with her.]] She crouches down in front of him as he cowers in a corner, shitting his pants in fear...* ''Anime/{{Noir}}''. The [[MafiaPrincess Intocabile]] murders the family of a Mafia boss this way, after he commits treason. This was done to get around the heavy restrictions placed on gore by the network (which is why the series uses BloodlessCarnage) and it works.** Debatably, also the ending of the series. But most fans don't sign to this theory, as the gun-sounds in the end belong to the protagonists' guns, which at this point were destroyed.* The Count's death in ''Anime/TheCastleOfCagliostro'', when he's crushed by the clock tower's hands. You hear him in pain, and then a gurgle accompanied by a nasty-sounding crunch as the hands move to the 12:00 position.* Karyuudo Tsukishima's death in ''[[Manga/MiraiNikki The Future Diary]]'' is heard from a walkie-talkie as Officer Kurusu shoots him point-blank.* Though we do see him bleed out, the actual shot that killed [[BadassNormal Maes Hughes]] in "Manga/FullmetalAlchemist" is just a sound effect over a black screen. ** Solf Kimblee's death is also a sound effect over a black screen, only this time with the sound of [[NightmareFuel jaws snapping shut on him]].* ''Manga/BlackLagoon''. [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled Yukio's suicide]] in the anime, when she [[{{Seppuku}} stabs herself in the throat with a katana]]. We only see Rock staring in horror (as Revy screams at him not to) and the sound of Yukio choking to death on her own blood. The manga, meanwhile, gives us a completely unobstructed view as she gives him one last smile and falls over dead.* Kaji's death in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. He is standing alone somewhere and turns to say to an unknown individual, "Yo! You're a little late, aren't you?" This is followed by a gunshot over a black screen.** Subverted in the movie ''Death and Rebirth'', where the gunshot is replaced by the sound of Asuka slapping Shinji out of disbelief and yelling at him when he tells her that Kaji is gone.[[note]]This was changed back in the English dub after the dubbers mistook the slap for a weak-sounding gunshot.* Occurs fairly often in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', specifically during the Battle of Trost. In the anime, you don't ''see'' anyone get EatenAlive, but you sure [[HellIsThatNoise hear it]].* In ''LightNovel/FateZero'''s anime adaptation, we don't see the actual death of the boy that Caster kills after giving him a cruel HopeSpot, just Caster's shadow tentacles reach out and grab him before it cuts away, but what we do hear makes it clear how horrific a death it was.[[/note]][[/folder]]

[[folder:Comicbooks]]* Done in ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'' when Rorschach went into the [[TheCanKickedHim prison restroom]] and killed Big Figure.* Archie's ''Comicbook/SonicTheHedgehog'' has one in the milestone issue #225; Sonic and Sally infiltrate the newly-built Death Egg Mark II, where they are then immediately confronted by Silver Sonic Mark II. Sonic decides to fight. However, Sally runs down a corridor to trace Eggman's intercom signal, where she encounters a giant gun turret that pops out of the wall. Sonic, while still fighting Silver Sonic, hears 3 sickening loud blasts (Possibly made worse by the art detailing in the onomatopoeia of the blasts.) from outside the corridor. The only thing we see afterwards of Sally is her shattered goggles and a silhouette on the floor of her lifeless hand, as Mobius reboots itself. She's not dead...but then gets roboticized.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]* A Shadow Broker guard dies like that in ''[[FanFic/MassFoundations Mass Foundations: Redemption in the Stars]]''. He frantically tries to hide and wait for the alarms to re-activate ... we hear the shotgun blast immediately afterwards.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]* ''Disney/{{Bambi}}'': We don't actually see Bambi's mother getting killed by the hunter. We just hear a gunshot after Bambi runs away, and later his father tells him that his mother "can't be with him anymore". Interestingly, the hunter himself is never shown in the film either.* Ironhide's death in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersTheMovie''; we see Megatron standing over him, fusion cannon pointing at his head and about to discharge, and then the scene cuts to an external shot of the hijacked shuttle as we hear the iconic sound of that cannon over the ending notes of "Instruments of Destruction".* ''WesternAnimation/IceAge'': At the climax, Manny knocks the evil saber Soto to a rock wall, the impact knocking loose sharp icicles. We see Soto's final moments as he [[OhCrap looks up in horror at the icicles coming loose and falling toward him]], then we cut to his hench-sabers cringing as a sickening stabbing sound is heard. [[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]* Lambert's death in the first ''Film/{{Alien}}'' movie as she gets violated by the Alien, heard over the wirecam by Ripley.* The James Cagney movie ''Film/AngelsWithDirtyFaces'' ended this way.* There are several situations in ''Film/TheTreasureOfTheSierraMadre'' where the death of a character is visually censored this way. Curtin is executed off-screen while we hear two shots being fired, the three banditos are being executed against a wall which we see from an angle that doesn't show them being gunned down. Dobbs' [[OffWithHisHead beheading]] is [[GoryDiscretionShot covered by a donkey]] standing in the way.* A variation in ''Franchise/StarWars Episode IV: Film/ANewHope''. In the Death Star, two stormtroopers are lured inside the Millenium Falcon, then we hear blaster fire. We never see any bodies afterward, but Han and Luke [[MuggedForDisguise walk out in their uniforms]].* The massacre at the Two Pines Wedding Chapel in ''[[Film/KillBill Kill Bill, Vol. 2]]''.* A [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qheb3JyMHSU rather famous scene]] in ''Film/TheLimey'' is this.* The murder scene in ''Film/TheWarOfTheWorlds'' remake, where Creator/TomCruise's character goes into a nearby room to deal with the CrazySurvivalist whose actions threaten to give away their position to the invading aliens. The door closes, and....Dakota Fanning sings with her eyes closed so she won't hear the murder sounds.* ''Film/{{Ultraviolet}}'' has a scene star with a closed door, gunshots, sword sounds, screams, mayhem...and then Violet comes through the door alone.* Occurs in the ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow''. After Frank N Furter chases Eddie into the freezer, [[GoryDiscretionShot we see Columbia's horrified face]] as we hear Eddie's screams and Frank chopping him to pieces with a pick-axe.* In ''Film/{{Signs}}'', during the attack in the basement, the only lightbulb is quickly shattered; there follows several minutes of black screen, screaming and things breaking. And, indeed, it is much more disturbing than it probably would have been if we had been able to ''see'' the attack.* ''Film/TheBlackHole''. The visual aspect of Durant's murder by Maximillian is hidden by the book. We only see Durant screaming in agony.* Done chillingly in ''Film/ParanormalActivity''. Katie, appearing possessed, wanders downstairs out of view, and begins screaming bloody murder. Her boyfriend runs down after her, you hear him shout, and then they're both suddenly cut off. After many agonizing seconds of silence, his body is tossed at the camera, and it's revealed that Katie had just murdered him.* The suicides of Hitler and Eva Braun, Mr & Mrs Goebbels and other Nazi bigwigs in ''Film/{{Downfall}}''. Averted with various 'minor' characters.* The hibernating astronauts who are murdered by evil computer HAL in ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey''. Our only indication that they are dying comes from their life sign monitors, which flatline in a chorus of alarming beeps.* In the film adaptation of ''Film/DoubleIndemnity'' the protagonist Walter is shown popping up out of the backseat of a car, the shot changes to the wife of the victim driving while the victim's neck is audibly broken. In the novel, Walter sits up in the backseat of the car and grabs his victim by the neck, the author then (through the main characters voice) states "I won't tell you what I did then. But in two seconds he was curled down on the seat with a broken neck..."* In ''Film/SuckerPunch'', there's a scene where Blue talks to all of the girls about their escape plan, which Blondie told him about. When he shoots Amber and Blondie, there's just the sounds of the gunshot and their corpses hitting the floor.* ''Film/{{Hanna}}'' does this a lot- Erik Heller and Marissa Weigler are killed this way.* Played for comedy in ''Film/DirtyWork'', in the fish scene.-->Now you've taken ''my'' chainsaw, and you're using it on ''me''!* ''Film/JurassicPark'' -- The goat eaten by the T-rex, the hacker eaten by the Dilophosaurus and, most notably, ''Anything'' eaten by the Velociraptors, and for good reason- '' they are all eaten alive''.** In the sequel, anyone attacked or eaten by Compys tends to receive this treatment as well.* In ''Film/TheBlairWitchProject'', this is what happens to Heather because the footage is from her camera, and most likely Mike and Josh, too.* ''Film/TheBigRedOne''. The German protagonist is {{Booby Trap}}ping a castle belonging to a countess, who reveals that she despises Hitler and offers him a sizeable bribe not to detonate the explosives. Cut to the outside of the castle and the sound of a submachine gun.* ''Film/MillersCrossing''. A slow pan across the room accompanied by "[[SoundtrackDissonance Danny Boy" playing on the gramophone]], and the sound of a man gasping and his body hitting the floor, eventually reveals a dead guard in Leo's foyer, and the murderer letting in his accomplice so they can finish off their main target.* ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'': After [[CorruptCorporateExecutive John Daggett]] fails to gain control of Wayne Enterprises, he [[SpeakOfTheDevil confronts]] Bane. After a [[BullyingADragon heated exchange]], Bane swiftly turns the tables on Daggett, scaring his assistant away. Just as Bane begins to do... [[NothingIsScarier something]] to Daggett's face, the screen [[GoryDiscretionShot cuts away]] to the assistant, who is still close enough to hear Daggett's agonized screams. Also, Foley's death.* ''Film/LockStockAndTwoSmokingBarrels'', When Winston accompanies Rory Breaker to identify the thugs who robbed Rory's marijuana-growing operation. Once Winston has identified the primary culprit, as he hurries away with an armful of loot he hears gunfire.* ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded''. At the end of the fight between Neo and the Merovingian's {{mooks}}, the last mook is lying on the ground and looking up as Neo swings a polearm with a spiked end down at his head. The scene cuts to the Merovingian looking away in disgust as a "thunk" sound effect is heard.* ''Film/MenInBlack2''. The scene where Serleena eats a would-be mugger is done like this. It happens behind a bush so all we see are his legs fly up in the and get sucked down accompanied by his screams of terror and some devouring noises as she eats him alive.* ''Film/{{Predator}}''. As the fleeing party is being pursued by the title creature, one of them, Billy, decides to perform a YouShallNotPass to let the others escape. As they continue along they hear his scream as the Predator kills him.* ''Film/{{Serenity}}''. When the unnamed female scientist on the video is attacked by a Reaver, it drags her down out of sight and we hear her screams as it rapes/kills/eats her.* ''Film/LicenceToKill'': When Lupa's lover has his heart cut out by Sanchez's men, we only hear his scream and briefly see his dead body later on.* ''Film/SophieSchollTheFinalDays'', a German film about the [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany 1943]] trial and execution [[OffWithHisHead by guillotine]] of three antifascist student protestors. The screen fades to black just as the blade is released to sever Sophie's head, and we hear it rise and fall twice more, along with Hans Scholl's cry of "[[FacingTheBulletsOneLiner Es lebe die Freiheit!]]" (''Long live freedom'').* ''Film/SherlockHolmesAGameOfShadows''. Moriarty tells Irene Adler [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness he has no further need of her services]]. She gets up and leaves, staggering slightly as she does. Cut back to Moriarty calmly sipping his tea while a crash of crockery (a later flashback scene shows she knocked over a table as she fell) signifies Irene collapsing from the [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink poisoned tea she just drank]].* In ''Film/{{Targets}}'' during the massacre at the drive-in, we at one point cut to one of the car showing a child in the front passanger seat crying hysterically. The camera pans away to the driver seat where we see an dead adult. A shot is heard and the crying stops.* In ''Film/SixTheMarkUnleashed'', the massacre of the underground hideout rebels is done with only the sound of a gunshot between scenes.* ''Klute'' is forced to listen to the murder of a friend that the killer recorded.* ''Film/TheLastDaysOnMars'' (2013). The protagonist can hear the radio chatter of the relief team, but his own radio isn't working properly so he can't warn them about the infected crewmen. Instead he hears their screams over the radio, their deaths obscured by the dust kicked up by the DropShip as it landed.* Blackly funny example in ''Film/TheatreOfBlood''-- a cop hiding in the trunk of a car in an attempt to follow vengeful killer actor Edward Lionheart ends up with it parked on train tracks. We hear him over the walkie-talkie to the other cops:-->"I can hear a train whistle... ''(rumbling sound)'' I can definitely identify it as a train... ''(sound grows louder)'' T-R-A... '''KERRRR-UNNCH.'''* ''Film/Plan9FromOuterSpace'': The grieving old man walks off screen, his shadow freeze-frames and we hear a screech of brakes and a yell. "Confused by his great loss, the old man left that home... never to return!" Only a funny example because of {{narm}}. At B-Fest, someone will occasionally [[FreeWheel roll a single tire in front of the screen at this point]].* ''Film/{{The Art of War}}'' (2000). Shaw's partner dies this way, shot over the radio as Shaw attempts to run down an assassin. The GenreSavvy will quickly figure out he's TheMole FakingTheDead, and in fact turns out to be the assassin Shaw was chasing.* When Georgie is killed in ''Film/FunnyGames'', it happens in the next room, and we only hear the sound of the shotgun going off and see a blood-spattered television immediately afterward.* Played for laughs in ''Film/AustinPowersInternationalManOfMystery'' when Dr. Evil drops Mustafa into a pit of fire, only for Mustafa to complain off screen that he's "alive, but very badly burned". This goes on for some time until we hear someone shoot him; he then complains about being shot before finally being shot again, presumably finishing him off.* ''Film/TheBodyguard'' opens on the sound of gunshots [[BatmanColdOpen as Frank Farmer shoots dead a hitman sent after his client]].[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]* In ''A Sound of Thunder'' by Ray Bradbury, the titular sound is used to refer to three things: 1) The Roar of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, 2) The guns that kill said Tyrannosaurus, and 3) The sound that the gun makes when aimed at the Protagonist who destroyed the present by tampering with the distant past.* ''Literature/TheGunsOfNavarone''. Mallory tells the others how Andrea Stavros killed a roomful of Germans -- entering disguised as a collaborator, [[DarknessEqualsDeath breaking the lightbulb]], then after the shots and screams had died he comes out the door covered in blood.* In ''[[Literature/{{Twilight}} The Twilight Saga: Eclipse]]'', the story is told from Bella's first-person POV, so all the action is usually described through her own eyes. But when Bree is executed by the Voluturi, Bella closes her eyes, so can only describe the ''sounds'' of a vampire being dismembered.* A curious example occurs in ''Literature/HeartOfSteel'', whereby Alistair silences rival cyborg Jim and closes his eyes before sending his combat drones to dismember him, so that Jim cannot access the speakers or move on his own, but both of them are connected to the island's computer network so that Alistair gets the full brunt of Jim's frantic last thoughts.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]* Done in ''Series/TheDresdenFiles'', where a group of vampire hunters is killed loudly and violently off-screen, while Dresden himself is locked in a room.* The murder of the entire Quorum in ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'''s fourth season. We see the bodies afterwards though, and the massacre itself is a deleted scene on the DVD.* The suicide of the protagonist in the TV adaptation of ''Literature/APerfectSpy'' (by Creator/JohnLeCarre) involves him walking offscreen, then we hear a gunshot after a long pause, and then a gory shot of his body.* PlayedForLaughs with ''The Death of Mary, Queen of Scots'', a radio ShowWithinAShow from ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''.* Series 3 of ''Series/{{Torchwood}}''. When ordered to hand over his children to a FateWorseThanDeath, a civil servant requisitions a pistol, then tells his wife and two daughters to go up to their room. Once the door closes behind him, four quick shots follow.* ''Series/DoctorWho'':** PlayedForLaughs in the episode [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E12TheSoundOfDrums "The Sound of Drums"]]. The Master needs a pesky reporter taken care of; one of the Toclafane materializes in the room. The Master then hurriedly leaves with his wife, and until he closes the sound-proof door, we hear screams and the sounds of horrible sharp instruments. Then, after a little while, the Master ''opens'' the door again, and screams can ''still'' be heard from inside. He closes it again, waits a bit longer ... opens the door, and the victim is still screaming.** More BlackComedy in "The Crimson Death". When the BigBad suffers a DisneyVillainDeath by falling off a rocket launching structure, the Doctor and his companions are shown wincing at the sound of her body bouncing off various metal beams before she hits the ground.** Harriet Jones's extermination in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E12TheStolenEarth "The Stolen Earth"]].** Adelaide Brooke's suicide in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E16TheWatersOfMars "The Waters of Mars"]].** Also occurs in the Third Doctor story [[Recap/DoctorWhoS7E1SpearheadFromSpace "Spearhead from Space"]], where an elderly couple's dog is apparently killed by an Auton, or at least spooked off. The animal is heard barking offscreen, as its mistress berates it to be quiet; this is followed by a yelp, then silence.** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E4TheTimeOfAngels "The Time of Angels"]] and [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E5FleshAndStone "Flesh and Stone"]], the Weeping Angels move so quickly that this the only way they can snap the RedShirts' necks.** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS15E3ImageOfTheFendahl "Image of the Fendahl"]]: Four hands Stael a pistol, and heads to the stairs. When he reaches the top, we hear a single gunshot. The Doctor looks back, the scene changes, and the next time Stael is mentioned it's a reference to his suicide.* Part of what makes Haley's death in the 100th episode of ''Series/CriminalMinds'' so horrific is that her ex-husband, Hotch, is listening to the Reaper torture her over the phone. They get [[{{Tearjerker}} a few minutes to say goodbye]], and then all Hotch can hear is Foyet's gun going off.* Jenny Sheperd's death at the end of season 5 of ''Series/{{NCIS}}''. Played with in that we see part of the fight in the next episode.* In the second season of ''Series/{{Jericho}}'', one episode has Bonnie fighting off a bunch of Ravenwood goons with a shotgun. We see most of the gun battle, but when Goetz walks into the house, perspective cuts to Mimi, who is in the storage closet, slowly bleeding from a gunshot wound. We here three shots- one from Goetz's gun, which we see go through the wall a strike a shelf, one from Bonnie's shotgun, and another from Goetz, which doesn't hit the wall. Cue Mimi's stunned look as she realizes that Goetz had the last shot. We don't find out that Bonnie is dead until the very end of that episode, and we never actually see her get shot.* In the ''Series/RedDwarf'' episode "Meltdown", we hear but don't see Franchise/WinnieThePooh [[ItMakesSenseInContext get shot by a firing squad]].-->'''Lister''': That's something no one should ever have to see.* ''[[Series/{{Highlander}} Highlander:The Series]]'' never shows any decapitations, instead opting for a shot of a person swinging a sword and perhaps a *''thunk''* as a head hits the floor.* Happens fairly often in ''Series/StargateSG1'' and ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' when (usually) bad guys try to get through the Stargate while the iris is closed.* Subverted and PlayedForLaughs in the ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' episode "Are You Being Served?" when Niles, in full swing of a nervous breakdown during a messy divorce, locks himself in the bathroom and a loud '''BANG''' is heard, followed by silence. The other characters all look at each other horrified. Then Niles stumbles out, covered in foam. Martin's [[SlicesDicesAndMakesJulienneFries Hot n' Foamy]] had just exploded.* The final scene of the {{reviv|al}}ed ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' episode "The Furious and Fast" is J.R. calling John Ross and telling him he's proud of him. The last shot we see of J.R. is him slowly lowering his cell phone as he sees someone offscreen. Cut to John Ross hearing gunshots over his own cell phone and crying out for his father. Someone has once again shot J.R., and this time, he's KilledOffForReal.* We can hear a gunshot after the shot fades to black when Jesse shoots Gale in ''Series/BreakingBad''.* This happens only occasionally on ''Series/ColdCase'', including one particularly sad case where a teenaged girl is held down by a group of biker thugs and viciously stabbed. The sounds of her screams as well as the condition of her body (in which part of the blade was ''imbedded inside of her'') shows how much she suffered.* ''Series/{{Frontline}}''. In "The Siege" anchorman Mike Moore (no, not [[Creator/MichaelMoore that one]]) interviews a hostage taker while the eponymous siege is in progress, earning high ratings for his program. Two weeks later another hostage taker rings up Moore asking for a direct interview. Moore answers the phone on live television.-->'''Moore:''' You asked to speak to me. Well you've got the whole of Australia watching and listening. What do you want?-->'''Hostage Taker:''' I want you to hear this. ''(screams and gunshots. Cut to credits)''.* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''. In "The Naked Now", the crew of Enterprise are shocked to hear the sound of an [[ThrownOutTheAirlock emergency hatch being blown]], depressurizing the bridge crew of the starship ''Tsiolkovsky''.* ''Series/TheHauntingHour'' features these in abundance. One of the [[NothingIsScarier creepiest ones]] would be from "My Old House." A girl who doesn't want to leave her old home [[AdultFear runs away from her family]] [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything to be with it again]]. However, she soon realizes that her family is more important when she sees them worry over her disappearance. When she tries to return to them [[{{Yandere}} the House]] has a VillainousBreakdown and prevents her from leaving. While the scared girl cowers in a corner, the house brings out CombatTentacles and goes in for the kill. The last time we see her alive she screams before we get a discretion shot. * ''Series/TheEqualizer'' normally shows the villains getting shot by the protagonist, but the end of "Nightscape" is an exception. Robert [=McCall=] has tracked down three rapists just as they're chasing their next victim. They're not impressed by some middle-aged English guy trying to stop them, and pull knives. Cue the victim pausing for a moment on the subway stairwell as she hears three loud gunshots. It's made clear afterwards that [=McCall=] ''has'' killed them, as he pours out his angst to his GirlOfTheWeek afterwards.* ''Series/BoardwalkEmpire'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mals6tMDa2c does this]] with Joe Masseria's assassination. Lucky Luciano gets up from the table, and excuses himself to the bathroom. As he closes the door, his hitmen Tonino Sandrelli and Bugsy Siegel enter the restaurant. Inside the bathroom, Luciano listens as the two assassins empty their guns into Masseria, emerging once the gunfire ceases.-->'''Lucky Luciano:''' Fuck took so long?-->'''Bugsy Siegel:''' Traffic the whole way.-->'''Tonino Sandrelli:''' Had to be done, right?* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''. While it's often done for GoryDiscretionShot, the ending of "Heart" is a noteworthy example, when Sam has to MercyKill the GirlOfTheWeek after discovering she's a werewolf. He takes her into the bedroom, and Dean winces at the subsequent gunshot. Cut to credits.* Xhalax's apparent death in ''Series/{{Farscape}}'', when Crais, claiming that he doesn't want to kill her in front of her daughter, takes her away into the swamp, after which a gunshot is heard. A few episodes later it's revealed that he spared her (which John, at least, had already suspected), but she's killed off unambiguously via RasputinianDeath (shot in the chest, then jumps from a starscraper) at the end of the same episode.* In the SoapOpera ''Series/AnotherWorld'', as two cars speed toward each other on an ice-slicked road, the final frame of the episode is a frozen shot of one set of headlights. It fades to black as we hear the gruesome sound of a car crash.* ''Series/{{Fargo}}''. [[ProfessionalKiller Lorne Malvo]] walks into a building and wipes out the entire Fargo Mob. The battle is shown only by the camera panning across (then up) the buildings' opaque windows to the sound of gunfire, screams and curses, until it reaches the top floor of the building where upon someone undergoes DestinationDefenestration. Despite all this noise, [[FailedASpotCheck it's only then that the FBI agents on surveillance across the street realise something is wrong.]]* ''Series/BlakesSeven''. Cally's death at the start of Season 4 is only shown by StuffBlowingUp and her crying out Blake's name. This was because Jan Chappell had decided to leave the series; she rejected the idea of a final episode portraying her death and only agreed to voice record her FamousLastWords.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]* The intro to "Punks" by Black Tiger Sex Machine includes a radio transmission of this nature: "We are surrounded...requesting immediate evac...there's too many of them! Aghh---"[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theatre]]* Done in Euripides's Greek myth-inspired ''Theatre/{{Medea}}'', when the eponymous character murders her children, making this trope [[OlderThanFeudalism older than dirt]].* Kim in ''Theatre/MissSaigon'' steps into a curtained alcove to shoot herself, although she staggers out for a DiedInYourArmsTonight finish.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Videogames]]* ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}''. After a couple brief sightings of a Skaarj on your crashed ship, you come to a locked door. Behind the door, you hear some of the other prisoners or guards ([[RedShirt unsuccessfully]]) fighting the alien. Once the door finally opens, you see the Skaarj run off, leaving a pile of [[LudicrousGibs what used to be people]] on the floor behind him.* Also used twice in ''VideoGame/FableII''. The Hero leaves the room where an artist is either painting or sculpting Reaver's likeness, followed by a comment about how the artist has made a mistake, and then a gunshot.* ''VideoGame/CallOfJuarezBoundInBlood''. Mendoza orders his thugs to kill William, then leaves and closes the door as gunshots are heard from behind it. We later learn that those gunshots were fired by [[TheGunslinger Ray]] doing his BigDamnHeroes thing.* ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'', sector 9. Once you break Annihilator Iosa's shield, the screen cuts to black and we hear either a shotgun blast, or a {{laser blade}} strike, depending whether or not you [[EnemyMine teamed up with Ansaksie]].* In ''[[VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga Jedi Outcast]]'', [[BigBad Desann]] tells [[TheDragon Tavion]] to kill Kyle's friend, Jan. You can hear an activating lightsaber and then a grunt. Later, when Tavion ends up being dangled over an abyss after an enraged Kyle defeated her in a lightsaber duel, she confesses that it was all a trick to anger him and that Jan is still alive, so the trope is averted in this case.* ''Franchise/MassEffect'':** At the start of [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 the first game]], Saren betrays and executes Nihlus from behind. The cutscene ends after Saren pulls out his gun on Nihlus, but the player can hear the gunshot echoing in the distance when gameplay resumes.** In the DLC ''Bring Down the Sky'', one of the missing engineers' bodies shows signs of "burn marks and concussive damage." You can listen to her final audio log: "They're trying to find a way in. I think they're attaching something to the door. If I don't make it, tell my family I love--"(sound of huge explosion).** ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' has one that's very easy to miss. If you give quarian merchant Kenn a thousand credits for his ticket off Omega and then hang around after he leaves, you hear him cry out and get cut off by a gunshot. Ouch. ** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', if you fail to save Dr. Archer's brother David at Grissom Academy--or if you do, but decide to not tell him and let him worry--he pulls out a gun and walks away to "escape from this nightmare." [[DrivenToSuicide Then you hear a gunshot.]]* Done in the [[ItsAWonderfulFailure bad ending]] of Wing Commander IV. [[PlayerCharacter Blair]] is taken offscreen to be executed by firing squad. "Blindfold?" "No." "Ready, aim, fire." (Gunshots, thump)* Subverted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'': Delita approaches Valmafra, sword drawn, and the "camera" pans upwards out of the scene as a scream is heard. Later on, we learn that the person in question is still alive. The game never really explain what caused the scream, but many fans speculate that Delita cut off Valmafra's tongue.* ''VideoGame/RuleOfRose'' goes its way to avoid actually showing any violence against children, so all deaths involving them happen off screen, with only screams to accompany them. Even bodies don't appear afterwards, only empty clothes, though [[AllJustADream the nature of the story]] justifies this rather well.* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'': ** After defeating Sniper Wolf in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', she's lung-shot and asks to be finished off. The camera zooms so far out that all you can see is the fog, and you hear the gunshot echo in the distance.** In the end of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'', Snake kneels in front of Big Boss's grave, puts his Springfield Operator in his mouth with one bullet, [[FadeToBlack cut to black]], [[TearJerker BANG]]. Averted since he pulled the gun out at the last second. Good thing, too. Since Big Boss is standing right there.* In the first level of ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersia2: The Shadow and the Flame'', after climbing down to the ground, if you go off the screen to the right (into the city) instead of left (towards the harbor), the view doesn't change screens, and you hear sounds of violence from offscreen while your health meter slowly decreases to zero.* ''VideoGame/Disgaea2CursedMemories''. [[MultipleEndings Worst Ending]]. Adell kills and [[ImAHumanitarian devours]] Hanako and Taro. And you hear all the splurchy nightmare-inducing noises.* In ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction'', the screen abruptly fades to black right before Dehl kills [[BigBad Havan]], who we only hear screaming. This is rather odd, considering that there was a graphic FamilyUnfriendlyDeath not much earlier, plus the fact that the game has no reason to pretend it's still a happy-go-lucky family-friendly adventure story at that point.** Although, it could be a way of showing that the extremely dark tone of chapter 6 is finally over, and that the story is now going to return to a more lighthearted state.* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}'':** You can find an ECHO recording of Jack strangling someone to death. He corrects someone that ''choking'' is what happens when you get food caught in your windpipe, and what he's doing is actually ''strangling''.** One side quest is finding inspiration for [[AbhorrentAdmirer Scooter to write a love poem]]. When you present it to the object of his affections, she excuses herself, walks through a door, [[SuicideAsComedy and you hear a gunshot]].** In the Wildlife Exploitation Preserve, you can find ECHO recordings of live human experimentation. Although for the most part it's not outright stated whether they lived or died (though they almost certainly did die), there is a case where the victim is known to have died; Tina's parents. The final recording is of Tina being instructed to use a grenade to escape. Doing Tina's "Tea Party" side quest confirms that her parents died there.* Happens in the third arc of VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry where Jessica (and the reader) only hears Nanjo getting murdered by Evatrice outside the room she is in. It is as scary as it sounds especially when Evatrice begins to taunt the blinded Jessica (earlier a gun went of next to her face and she was blinded by the discharge) from the other side of the door.* ''RiseOfTheTriad'' puts up confirmation messages such as "Press Y to signal firing squad" when you go to exit the game. If you do confirm the quit out, the screen goes to black and the game plays an appropriate sound-bite ("Ready, aim, fire!" '''''BANG!'''''). There are several such messages, almost all of which suggest being executed (the two exceptions being driving your car over a cliff and pulling the plug on your life support), and every one with its own sound-bite.* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' uses this to great effect when all the animatronics [[spoiler:finally get to Phone Guy during his Night 4 phone call.]]* In one of the paths in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', this is how [[spoiler: Sans]] dies at the end of that route's final battle, heaving himself heavily wounded off-screen, where you hear the usual noise for a monster turning to dust. That [[spoiler: Sans]] both appears to bleed and doesn't turn to dust immediately like monsters should when dealt a fatal blow has created a ''lot'' of EpilepticTrees as to weather or not he actually did die, or just made the noise with his mouth before limping off elsewhere, among other theories.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' Redcloak takes control over Tsukiko's wights and orders them to drain her to death and then eat her corpse. Then comics provides four panels of Redcloak's face and speech bubles with Tsukiko's dying screams as he watches her die.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'': Does it twice. Yes from a [[DarkerAndEdgier Scooby Doo cartoon]].** Ed Machine comes home [[AloneWithThePsycho to find Pericles Waiting for him]]. He says he wants to deliver his boss a message, Ed tells him to say it and leave... Pericles informs him that he doesn't intend for him to say anything, cut to the outside where Ed's screams and Wing flutters can be heard.** After Marcie "Hot Dog Water" Fleach's failed attempt at holding Pericles captive, he orders his Kriegstafflebots to execute her. They advance, open up their Gatling Guns, cut to Velma and Scooby, they hear gunshots, and Scooby starts whimpering.-->'''Velma:''' (''sadly'') Just keep going, Scooby...* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'': This happens with P'Li in Book 3, when she blasts her whole body to smithereens, and the only thing you see is a big cloud of smoke, and the only thing you hear is a big bang from the explosion.* ''WesternAnimation/{{Popeye}}'': At the end of "Happy Birthdaze" Popeye and Shorty, who's been accidentally causing AmusingInjuries the entire cartoon end up in a furnace in the dark. A gunshot is heard and the silent closing title says "The Bitter End."[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]* Black box recordings recovered from aircraft crash sites often capture the moment of impact and sounds from within the cockpit as this occurs, making them very disturbing to listen to.* This must happen to 911 (999) operators from time to time.** Ditto for those working on Suicide Prevention Hotlines.* Audio has been released of at least one victim of 9/11 who was speaking to 911 when one of the WTC towers he was in collapsed.* The final transmission of the space shuttle Columbia was cut off in the middle of a word beginning with "bu..." Challenger exploded a second after its commander said "Go with throttle up" but it's unclear whether any sounds from the cockpit were transmitted. It's long been rumoured that black box recordings exist of at least Challenger.* One of the most disturbing live-TV examples occurred in July 2007 when a TV helicopter covering a police chase in Phoenix collided with another. Viewers heard the reporter in the chopper reacting to something unseen by viewers who then heard the sound of impact and then the man screaming as the transmission quickly cut way back to the studio.* Timothy Treadwell, an environmentalist and grizzly bear enthusiast, was killed (along with his girlfriend) by one of the very bears he swore to protect in 2003. When park rangers discovered his ruined campsite, they found his video camera, which had managed to record audio of the fatal attack. Creator/WernerHerzog himself was horrified by it when he listened to said audio while filming his Treadwell documentary ''Film/GrizzlyMan''.[[/folder]]